For a long time, the image of giant wooden wheels spinning slowly has added to the peaceful and romantic landscape of Quay Son river.
Skillfully made from natural materials, a wooden wheel is composed of three main components: a central axle, arms and a paddle. The wheel takes advantage of water power from the flowing river to lift the water and lead to the fields and villages. Wooden wheels show the great creativity of the local people in their use of nature for production and daily life.
Considered as an “eternal machine”, wooden wheels work both day and night. If bronze working tools are associated with rice civilization in the delta areas, then wooden wheels are evidence of rice civilization in mountainous areas. Not only is the wooden wheel an irrigation tool, it has also become a unique cultural feature of the ethnic groups in Cao Bang.